Ex USS SHUBRICK (Type A -
BELMONT-Class) built by Bethlehem Steel, Squantun.
The ship was laid down on 3rd June 1918 and launched on 31st December
19l8. Commissioned on 3rd July 1919 for US Navy she was held in
Reserve in 1939. The ship was transferred to the RN under UK/US Land Lease
Agreement signed on 3rd September and commissioned at Halifax on 26th November that year for
RN service. Like others of this Class she was given a name common to three
towns in UK and six in the USA. It had not been previously used for an RN
ship. After a WARSHIP WEEK National Seville campaign February 1942 this
destroyer was adopted by the civil community of Repton,
in Derbyshire.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r
ATLANTIC 1941-42
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field barry
wavy of six White and Blue in front of a
trident erect Red entwined by a serpent nosed
proper, a hurt
thereon a Mullet White.
D e t a i
l s o f W a r
S e r v i c e
(for more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and type name in Site Search)
1 9 4 0
November Prepared for transfer and passage to Halifax.
26th Transferred to Royal Navy and commissioned as HMS
RIPLEY
December Passage to Plymouth with call at St Johns, Newfoundland.
27th Arrived at Plymouth and taken in hand for refit by
HM Dockyard Devonport.
1 9 4 1
January Under refit and modification to suit RN deployment as
a convoy escort.
(Note:
Work included:
Removal of mainmast and shortening of foremast.
Reducing size of after three funnels.
Removal of after 3in
and 4in guns mountings and
fit of British 12pdr HA gun
in X-position.
Removal of after set of torpedo tubes.
Fitting of British type Depth Charge Throwers.
Installation of some RN design ASDIC equipment.
February Allocated for service with 5th Escort Group.
13th During post refit trials involved in collision with
sister destroyer HMS BURWELL and
trawler NOIRE DAME DE FRANCE. Taken in hand for
repair.
March
3rd On completion of repair deployed in search for a
blockade runner in SW approaches.
When detached took passage to join Group for
Atlantic convoy escort.
April Deployed as part of escort for Convoy OB308 during
passage in NW Approaches.
(Note: OB series of convoys was renamed ON
series later in 1941.)
May Deployment for Atlantic convey defence in
continuation.
25th Detached to join Home Fleet ships in search for
German battleship BISMARCK.
On release resumed convoy defence duties with
Group.
June Atlantic convoy escort in NW Approaches continued.
to
July
August Passage to Canada,
14th Deployed at Argentia Bay, Newfoundland for guardship
duties with RN and US Navy warships
during Atlantic Charter Meeting by Prime
Minister Winston Churchill and US President Franklin
D Roosevelt on HM Battleship PRINCE OF WALES
On release deployed as part of escort for
military convoy TC12B during passage to Clyde..
September Nominated for refit.
4th During passage in North Sea to Middlesbrough ran
aground at Flamborough Head..
Sustained structural damage and towed to Grimsby
for temporary repair.
8th Under repair in commercial shipyard.
15th Took passage from Grimsby to Middlesbrough.
October Under refit.
to (Note: Work carried out probably included
installation of Naval Radar Type 286M, an Ex RAF
December Air-Surface Vessel radar modified to suit RN use with
fixed aerial.
See RADAR AT SEA by D Hawse for details of
development and use of radar in RN.)
1 9 4 2
January Under refit.
to
February
March Carried out post-refit trials.
15th On completion took passage from Middlesbrough to
Tobermory for work-up.
23rd Resumed Atlantic convoy escort in NW Approaches
after shortened work-up.
April Atlantic convoy escort in continuation.
to (Note: Convoys escorted by Group
included SC86
and ON107.)
May For details of dates of convoys see ALLIED CONVOY
SYSTEM IN WW2 by A Hague.)
June
21st Part of Local Escort for military convoy WS20 from
Clyde in NW Approaches.
(Note: Other ships in Local Escort ware HM
Destroyers GEORGETOWN, SALISBURY,
BEAGLE, ST ALBANS, VIDETTE, WOLVERINE and
VANSITTART.)
25th Detached from WS20 with HMS BOADICEA and returned to
Clyde.
July Atlantic convoy escort with Group in continuation.
August Transferred to British 7th Escort Group
(Note: Other ships in Group were HM Destroyer
FIREDRAKE, HM Corvettes SUNFLOWER,
LOOSESTRIFE and PINK
. Deployed as part of escort of Convoy ONS117 to
Canada with Group.
September Deployed for convoy defence In Caribbean.
(Note: RN warships were deployed to support US
Navy anti-submarine operations against
German submarines concentrating attacks in this
area. See HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR
by C Blair and U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC
(HMSO).
On release from service in Caribbean deployment
took passage to Halifax.
(Note: Service in Caribbean had proved
unsatisfactory due to poor operational availability.
This was common to many TOWN Class destroyers.)
October After arrival in Newfoundland deployed with escort for
Convoy SC103 during passage to
Liverpool.
14th On arrival taken in hand in Holyhead for temporary
repair of defects.
November Under permanent repair and refit at Liverpool. in
commercial shipyard.
(Note: The work included:
Stage 2 of modifications to suit RN deployment
for convoy defence
Fit of surface warning radar Type 271.
Replacement of Type 286M by improved variant
type 266P.
Replacement of forward beam torpedo tube
Buntings by Triple RN mounting.
Fit of Oerlikon 20mm AA guns in place of 4in beam
mountings.
Installation of HF Direction Finding Outfit
using mainmast for aerial
December Under refit.
1 9 4 3
January Under refit
to
April
May Allocated to Orkney and Shetland Command on
completion of refit.
Carried out post-refit trials and took passage
to Tobermory for work-up.
June Worked-up for operational service.
Deployed for Local Escort in NW Approaches and
North Sea.
July
25th Detached for service with Home Fleet.
26th Deployed with Home Fleet units during offensive
sweep of coast of Norway.
(Operation GOVERNOR. This was a diversionary
operation during allied landings
in Sicily (Operation HUSKY - See ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by
C Barnett and Naval Staff History
August Resumed coastal convoy escort including troop convoy to
Faeroes.
September Deployed for coastal convoy defence in NW Approaches.
to
November
December Nominated for reduction to Reserve status and withdrawn
from operational service.
1 9 4 4
January Passage to Tyne.
4th Arrived in Tyne and Paid-off.
De-stored and commenced reduction to Reserve.
February Accepted into Reserve.
March Laid-up in Tyne.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Placed on Disposal List
to
February
March
20th Sold to T W Young for demolition at Sunderland.
April
14th Arrived in tow at breaker’s yard.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS RIPLEY
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date convoy sailed
|
Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left convoy
|
Date convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
06/04/41
|
06/04/41
|
OB 308
|
11/04/41
|
13/04/41
|
31/03/41
|
13/04/41
|
HX 118
|
18/04/41
|
18/04/41
|
09/05/41
|
10/05/41
|
HP
|
12/05/41
|
24/05/41
|
06/05/41
|
18/05/41
|
HX 125A
|
unknown
|
22/05/41
|
28/05/41
|
28/05/41
|
OB 327
|
29/05/41
|
01/06/41
|
20/05/41
|
03/06/41
|
HX 128
|
06/06/41
|
06/06/41
|
16/06/41
|
16/06/41
|
OB 335
|
24/06/41
|
02/07/41
|
16/06/41
|
27/06/41
|
HX 133
|
29/06/41
|
03/07/41
|
02/07/41
|
08/07/41
|
OB 341A
|
15/07/41
|
18/07/41
|
21/07/41
|
23/07/41
|
TC 012
|
26/07/41
|
29/07/41
|
11/08/41
|
unknown
|
ON 006
|
24/08/41
|
24/08/41
|
26/08/41
|
27/08/41
|
TC 012B
|
01/09/41
|
01/09/41
|
23/06/42
|
24/06/42
|
ON 106
|
03/07/42
|
08/07/42
|
12/07/42
|
18/07/42
|
HX 198
|
22/07/42
|
23/07/42
|
31/07/42
|
02/08/42
|
ON 117
|
10/08/42
|
15/08/42
|
19/08/42
|
19/08/42
|
HA 004
|
28/08/42
|
28/08/42
|
02/09/42
|
02/09/42
|
AH 003
|
10/09/42
|
10/09/42
|
17/09/42
|
20/09/42
|
HX 208
|
23/09/42
|
02/10/42
|
18/09/42
|
27/09/42
|
ON 131
|
02/10/42
|
04/10/42
|
26/09/42
|
03/10/42
|
SC 103
|
13/10/42
|
14/10/42
|
31/10/42
|
02/11/42
|
ON 142
|
02/11/42
|
21/11/42
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)
|